A noise adventure exploring Merzbow's 50-disc Merzbox set, one disc at a time. Hosted by @metaltxt and @EZSnappin. Email us at immerzbox@gmail.com!
A special bonus wrap-up episode now that we actually finished! We're joined by our friend and yours Ned Raggett to talk about the whole project! note: txt's audio sucks on this because his mic broke and he didn't realize. he's super good at podcasting.
Disc 50: Annihiloscillator (1996-97): That's all folks!
Disc 49: Motorond (1997): Oh boy, another live release. Those have always gone over well!
Disc 48: Space Mix Travelling Band (1994-1997): We get a genuinely enjoyable noise track that both Erik and Txt like! Surely this will continue for the rest of the disc right? Oh buddy. Txt's soul leaves his body.
Disc 47: Rhinogradentia (1995-1996): A decent grab-bag of outtakes. Erik goes whomp whomp wheee whomp whomp and txt goes vree vree vree vree.
Disc 46: Marfan Syndrome (1994-95): Reiko is back! But not on the tracks Masami tells us she's back on? Maybe? Erik and Txt get to the bottom of whether or not a short version of a track on a different release is actually...a long version.
Disc 45: Red Magnesia Pink (1995): Outtakes and outtakes of outtakes, maybe even a remix of an outtake. Lotta Galaga references in this one folks.
Disc 44: Liquid City (1994 - 95): Pure noise wall! Somebody is going to yell at txt for saying he doesn't like Throbbing Gristle but oh well
Disc 43: Exotic Apple (1992-94): The one with lots and lots of Arthur Lyman samples and Ufomammut references?
Disc 42: Sons of Slash Noise Metal (1993): We're back! We're finishing this stupid thing! We're not putting in samples! Don't ask why!!!
Disc 41: Brain Ticket Death (1993): A reference to Brainticket that's also a reference to Nurse with Wound that's also a
Disc 40: Music for True Romance Vol. 1 (1992-93): Music from a Merzbow side project.... supergroup? Anyway, this album is absolutely terrible.
Disc 39: Stacy Q, Hi-Fi Sweet Leaf (1991): Really hope the Rolling Stones don't issue a take down notice on this one.
Disc 38: Hannover Cloud (1990): Outtakes outtakes and more outtakes. We get Peanuts grown-ups speaking voices, sad chainsaws, and part 2 of a track that I'm not putting the title of here for fear of getting us kicked off itunes.
Disc 37: Newark Hellfire, Live at WFMU, USA (1990): LIVE FROM WFMU IT'S THE ERIK AND TXT DRIVE TIME HOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS: MERZBOW
Disc 36: Cloud Cock OO Grand (1989-1990): A new era of Merzbow, the start of the digital sound. Will txt and Erik like it? Will they offend the people of Holland?
Disc 35: SCUM - Steel CUM (1989) - The last of the SCUM records. Txt dives headfirst into the noise sewer and comes out smelling like spaceships.
Disc 34: SCUM - Severances (1989) - Merzbow makes a covers record. Sorta. Kinda. Not really.
Disc 33: SCUM Vol 2 (1988) - MORE SCUM - Erik talks about how much he loves Masami's phaser and txt does a deep-dive face first into a power drill.
Disc 32: SCUM Vol 1 (1988) - SCUI VOL 32 SCISSORS FOR CUTTING UP IMMERZBOX
Disc 31: KIR Tranformation (1989) - We join Masami and Achim Wollscheid for another collaboration work. txt complains about installation art.
Disc 30: Crocidura Dsi Nezumi (1987/8) - We quiet things down a lot with Disc 30.... until we don't. txt rants about his friendly neighborhood drum circle and Erik tries to make this into a Pink Floyd podcast.
Disc 29: Collaborative (1988) - Merzbow's collaboration CD with S.B.O.T.H.I. - Does bringing this new artist into the mix spice things up a bit? Also Erik makes phaser sounds for 7 minutes straight.
Disc 28: Fission Dialogue (1988): An interesting release combining the best of Merzbow's quieter, ambient-er side of things with uhh.. well, some other stuff. Erik talks about a flatulent man walking up some stairs.
Disc 27: Storage (1988): WAR. WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR. HUH - STORAGE.
Disc 26: Live In Khabarovsk, CCCP (I'm Proud By Rank Of The Workers) (1988): Very possibly the weirdest disc on the Merzbox.... because of its relative lack of weirdness? We discuss Masami Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani playing in a free jazz band with some Russians that probably shoved their way on stage.
Disc 25: Vratya Southward (1987/88): Ecobondaging continues. We talk about going on an Electroacoustic Voyage, noise walls vs noise oceans, and does Lightning need an extra n?
Disc 24: Enclosure/Libido Economy (1987/8/9): We get into the Ecobondage era - things get slooooooooowwwwwed down. Txt talks about waves a bunch.
Disc 23: Mortegage/Batztoutai Extra (1984): Well this is.... a weird one. Erik and txt talk about how they don't know how to talk about this... and then.... talk about it. Anyway, one of the tracks is called Anus Anvil Anxiety.
Disc 22: Sadomasochismo/Lampinak (1985) - Moving past the Pornoise era with some Sadomasochism. Possibly the harshest album we've heard thus far and definitely one of the best. Txt mentions staring at a wall and then getting punched in the face.
Disc 21: Pornoise Extra (1984) - We did it! We're done! ..... with the Pornoise era. Will the Pornoise extras redeem the last two utter garbage CDs? Let's find out, hit it Joe!
Disc 19: Pornoise 1KG Vol. 3 (1984) - The third of the Pornoise CDs! Oh... dear god... make it end.
Disc 19: Pornoise 1KG Vol. 2 (1984) - The second of the Pornoise CDs! Will we enjoy it as much as Vol. 1? NO GOD NO OF COURSE NOT
Disc 18: Pornoise 1KG Vol. 1 (1984) - The Merzbow stuff that we aren't technically supposed to talk about. Too bad! We're talking about it! Pornoise! Loops! Bass! Screaming! Aliens?
Disc 17: Agni Hotra (1984-85) - Cool loops, good loops, bad loops, shrill loops. NOT THE BEES.
Disc 16: Dying Mapa Tapes 2-3 (1983) - 16 discs in to the noise adventure. The second of two Mapas that are Dying episodes. Do we spend a significant chunk of this episode talking about 1980s hockey? Yes, yes we do.
Disc 15: Dying Mapa Tapes 1-2 (1983) - 15 discs in to the noise adventure. The first of two Mapas that are Dying episodes. Erik does a deep dive into the possibly made up word "Kamarage". txt flips out about violins. And txt and Erik argue about which of two tracks is more mediocre. Less mediocre? Unclear.
Disc 14: Mechanization Takes Command (1984) - 14 discs in to the noise adventure. The gang gets mechanized. We slowly morph into pistons, steam turbines, and a train! Erik demands our listeners make him a Merzbanger from the Merziest Merzbop.
Disc 13: Material Action 2 N.A.M. (1983) - 13 discs in to the noise adventure. To boldly go where no Merz has gone before!
Disc 12: Nil Vagina Tape Loops (1982) - 12 discs in to the noise adventure. We talk about the Nil Vagina Tape Loop. We talk about the Nil Vagina Tape Loop. We talk about the Nil Vagina Tape Loop. We talk about the Nil Vagina Tape Loop. We talk about the Nil Vagina Tape Loop. Also Japanese version of Curly from the Three Stooges makes an appearance. We talk about the Nil Vagina Tape Loop.
Disc 11: Expanded Music (1982-83) - 11 discs in to the noise adventure. Txt talks about robots becoming really kind of okay with being tortured to death. Erik hears a runaway player piano and we both become overtaken by the harsh noise wall.
Disc 10: Solonoise (1982) - 10 discs in to the noise adventure. We talk about how this might be the first real noise album on the Merzbox. Txt forgets what he's supposed to be working on and Erik describes Chewbacca in a way nobody ever needed to think about.
Disc 9: Yantra Material Action (1982) - 9 discs in to the noise adventure. Txt talks about being stuck in a windstorm surrounded by clanging pots and pans. Erik actually wants a Merzbow track to be longer. And we both talk about spaceships and Godzilla.
Disc 8: Material Action for 2 Microphones (1981) - 8 discs in to the noise adventure. Txt talks about a stapler, Erik talks about a weird Austrian guy, and we all hang out with DJ Merzbow for a while. The results are.... mixed, at best.
Disc 7: Paradoxa Paradoxa (1981) - 7 discs in to the noise adventure. The first recorded live Merzbow performance! Erik and txt talk about loops and tapes and violin and radio and organ, so much organ. Also a brief detour into assaulting bagpipes.
Disc 6: Collection Era Vol. 3 (1981-2) - 6 discs in to the noise adventure. The best disc yet! Erik and txt (mostly) like this album - and also discuss the Boss Dr. Rhythm drum machine for... probably too long.
Disc 5: Collection Era Vol. 2 (1981) - 5 discs in to the noise adventure. Erik and txt talk about bad Van Halen songs, jazz bass, and the most enjoyable 20 minutes of the Merzbox so far: Merztronics.
Disc 4: Collection Era Vol. 1 (1981) - 4 discs in to the noise adventure. Erik and txt talk about the start of a new era for Merzbow.... a dual adventure! Also another of Erik's anecdotes about a previous episode and lots and lots of ring modulation.
Disc 3: Remblandt Assemblage (1980) - 3 discs in to the noise adventure. We talk dada, what the hell an egg cutter is, and genuinely enjoy most (okay... some) of a Merzbox disc.
Disc 2: Metal Acoustic Music (1980) - 2 discs in to the noise adventure. Erik talks about John Cage's Indeterminacy and txt thinks that Merzbow lost a spoon somewhere?
Disc 1 of 50! OM Electrique - Merzbow's earliest recordings from 1979. Erik and txt introduce this podcast and discuss this very different set of recordings from Masami Akita, electric razors, and bird sounds?